Corporate environmental responsibility in Ethiopia: a case study of the Akaki River Basin

This research is aimed at investigating Corporate Environmental Responsibility in Manufacturing Enterprises in the Akaki River basin on protecting the urban environment with particular emphasis on twenty selected industries. To attain its objective, the study employed a mixed methods research approach. Data were collected by employing tools such as questionnaire, key informant interview, group discussions and observation. The findings of the research show that corporate environmental responsibility is very low. The majority of Large Scale Industries encompassed in the survey did not show considerable effort on protecting the environment responsibly. The reasons identified by this research are among others the absence of corporate environmental responsibility, low pressure from the enforcing institutions, and lack of financial and human resources. As a result, the Akaki River is highly polluted mainly through toxic industrial effluents released with little or no prior treatment. The consequences are countless. The populations living across the river are facing health deteriorations and economic damages. Based on the findings of this study, setting up strong institutions which are capable of developing new laws and implementing the existing environmental legal framework is commended.